Our Key People

Peter Gudge Commercial Manager

Peter has developed strong technical and commercial skills during his 30 years working across the construction sector.

Having started out as a Quantity Surveyor he went on to hold senior positions with several consultancies, covering a range of disciplines and developing a broad skillset, before joining echelon in 2012.

His wide-ranging knowledge extends beyond housing and he has a deep understanding of the construction sector as a whole.

Peter has extensive experience of successfully delivering commercially focused projects and programmes in the public sector with an emphasis on partnering-based procurement.

While primarily leading on the commercial aspects of procurement projects he also takes a broader role on delivery and is the key account manager for Croydon Council which recently awarded echelon a 14-year partnering advisor contract.

Kelly Kerr Commercial Manager and Company Secretary

Kelly, who is from an accountancy background, joined echelon in 2013 having started her career on the client side of the sector, as Property Services Finance Manager for Origin Housing.

Commercially and financially astute, Kelly brings a unique approach to procurement and has a reputation for getting things done.

She provides commercial assistance in procurement, handles open book and contract performance reviews and conducts commercial analysis including benchmarking of repairs and maintenance data.

Kelly leads on echelon’s innovative Price Per Property (PPP) and Price Per Void (PPV) models for undertaking repairs, which manage out the inherent waste created by day work and Schedule of Rates and provide complete transparency on how the service provider builds up its price.

She has worked with a diverse range of clients including Basildon Council, Grainger plc, East Devon District Council, Waltham Forest Council, CCHA, Johnnie Johnson Housing and Croydon Council, building up strong working relationships.

Clive Wilson Commercial Manager (Pretium)

Clive is a Chartered Surveyor with over 35 years’ experience in construction and facilities cost management.

He has a proven track record of delivering commercial solutions, from the early inception stage, through construction and into the challenges of the operational phase.

Recent contracts have included the procurement of a lift contract for Stevenage Borough Council and negotiating with a contractor to retain an M&E contract for the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

Clive was also involved in the development of echelon’s innovative Price per Property (PPP) model for undertaking repairs.

His recent experience has focused on gaining best value from building materials procurements and developing cost models for frameworks.

He was heavily involved in the national roll out of the building materials framework with Travis Perkins for echelon’s subsidiary company Pretium, securing contracts with companies including Thirteen Group and the London Borough of Southwark.

He has also helped establish Pretium’s recently launched vehicle fleet framework with Northgate.

Ellis Hanks Accounts and Office Assistant

Ellis joined echelon straight from school, as a Commercial Apprentice, after completing A Levels in History, English Literature and Sociology.

A year into his apprenticeship, he was appointed as Accounts and Office Assistant, supporting the Finance & HR Director in the internal financial processes and accounting for the echelon group companies.

He is also currently working towards his AAT qualification requiring him to balance a busy workload with his studies.

His daily duties involve dealing with the banks and checking bank statements, maintaining sales ledgers, ensuring that recurring invoices are sent out, credit control and handling purchase ledgers.

Ellis, who is fluent in Italian, participated in competitive karting up until he was 13, taking part in national competitions most weekends.

Motorsports remains a passion for him.

Fiona Lowe Project Manager

Fiona joined echelon as a project manager in 2015, having previously held a senior management post in an ALMO and before that working for a local authority.

Her diverse experience allows her to bring a wide-ranging skill set and knowledge base to the role, which involves managing procurement and other complex projects for housing associations and councils. She also leads on developing and procuring frameworks for echelon’s subsidiary company, Pretium.

Fiona’s diverse previous experience has given her a unique insight into the challenges faced by clients, enabling her to offer a personal touch and build up strong relationships with the organisations that she works with.

A communications professional by trade, Fiona oversees the brand, communications and media strategies for echelon and recently managed a branding review, working with the design team to create a fresh new look for the consultancy and developing its new website.

She has an MA in film studies and a wide range of other interests, including travel: her next adventure will be to Costa Rica and Nicaragua!

Nick Hann Head of Frameworks

Nick is Head of Frameworks at Pretium, a subsidiary of echelon  formed in 2015 to procure and manage a suite of frameworks delivering materials, construction, fleet and other services to public sector organisations.

Nick helped to launch Pretium and to build it up to the successful company that it is today, and his diverse role covers all marketing, business development, account and project management.

Having previously held a variety of positions with leading contractors, his creative thinking and ability to innovate have helped him to launch and manage Pretium’s successful frameworks.

He leads on the management of Pretium’s frameworks for construction management services, delivered by F3CONSTRUCT; materials supply and managed stores provided by Travis Perkins Managed Services and fleet delivered by Northgate Vehicle Hire.

As well as assessing the commercial viability of potential frameworks and working closely with a wider team to mobilise and implement them, Nick remains involved once frameworks are live, working with suppliers to create marketing plans to promote them to the wider sector and managing the ongoing client and supplier relationships.

Pamela Graham Consultant

Pamela is an expert in resident consultation with over 25 years’ experience in a customer service environment, within the housing sector.

An accomplished facilitator, she has worked with a diverse range of clients and their customers over the years, interpreting their needs and aspirations and turning them into achievable service objectives.

She is vastly experienced in guiding and mentoring residents and clients through the procurement process and in delivering workshops, as well as providing training on tendering processes.

Pamela has excellent organisational skills and is methodical, co-ordinating activities on an array of projects.

She acts as a co-ordinator, either leading on the facilitation of OJEU-compliant procurement projects or co-ordinating with the lead to support the tender process. Her attention to detail always ensures high-quality outputs for clients.

As well as being highly organised and having strong leadership skills Pamela is creative and innovative and is responsible for organising echelon’s AMIP benchmarking club and CAMIP best practice club, as well as its annual conference.

Eric Owen Technical Consultant

Eric is a highly committed and motivated building surveyor and housing professional with 16 years’ experience in responsive and planned maintenance in a social housing environment.

Vastly experienced in project management and leading on asset management strategies, he oversees a range of programmes from kitchen and bathroom replacements to gas installations and he is adept at managing client-contractor relationships and in ensuring that both sides deliver.

Eric’s background in surveying and his extensive technical knowledge allow him to take a hands-on approach to projects and to take the lead when he is on-site, and he is skilled at writing technical specifications.

He has a history of building up strong relationships with clients and has often been involved in winning new contracts on the strength of existing work with companies and organisations.

Tony Herbert Systems Consultant

Tony is echelon’s resident technical expert and leads on all things IT related. He has over 30 years’ experience covering sectors including finance, IT, housing & asset management and has worked for local authorities, housing associations and cooperatives. He also managed his own IT company, creating unique software products for the housing industry.

Tony has vast experience of working on different systems and has proven technical skills, while as an established member of the echelon team he has a deep understanding of the issues affecting the social housing sector.

He has a reputation for building strong relationships and bridging the gap between clients and technology, helping to assess their IT requirements throughout the procurement and mobilisation process and leads on project mapping workshops.

Tony combines his vast technical expertise with project management and communication skills to understand clients’ requirements and to create fit-for-purpose IT systems for new contracts.

He is also adept at configuring systems and working with legacy systems to ensure that they can be used effectively for the delivery of services.

Yogesh Makwana Consultant Building Surveyor

Yogesh joined echelon in November 2017 having previously worked for Cambridge Council and Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Services.

He has vast experience in the housing sector, having spent most of his career as a surveyor in a small housing association.

Since then he has worked with contractors and consultants with a primary focus on exceeding expectations for customer service delivery, while ensuring a high level of quality.

He has a wide range of experience in building maintenance, project management, health & safety at work and all relevant legislation.

As a building surveyor and asset surveyor Yogesh has been involved in the delivery of planned works and services, throughout his career.

His role at echelon involves developing, amending and reviewing technical specifications and writing documents such as contract manuals, developing asset management strategies and facilitating tender processes.  He also supports clients with contractual disputes and assist clients with any building related matters from surveying stock to managing programmes of works and working as part of a team on procurement projects.

Nicola Attwood Office Manager

After gaining a Business & Finance NVQ at Oaklands College in Welwyn Garden City Nicola held a number of administrative and finance roles before joining echelon in 2005.

Organised and meticulous Nicola keeps the office running smoothly and takes a proactive approach to supporting the day-to-day operations of the business.

As a long-standing member of the team she has a thorough understanding of the consultancy and the way in which it operates.

Nicola, who is the first point or contact for all telephone and email enquiries into the business, has excellent communication skills and provides professional and proficient customer service to both clients and colleagues.

Her wide-ranging role covers everything from managing the use of and ordering office supplies to organising team meetings and supporting the Finance & HR Director with administration including payroll, insurances, invoices and timesheets, as well as assisting with credit control.

A busy mum of two, outside of work Nicola likes to spend time with her family and enjoys going to the gym.